Extralite Alien 3 Skewer; The Best Skewer on the Market?

Although they're not the lightest skewer on the market, Extralite's Alien series has been a favorite of ours for over five years now. In fact, when we were talking about doing our second skewer review a customer commented, "Isn't a skewer just a skewer?" Which is forgivable if you've never used the Alien 3. By far the most enjoyable skewer to use, it's immediately apparent that Extralite has worked to improve every detail you could imagine on a skewer.

The lever is long, providing plenty of clamping force, and the ergonomic shape makes it very comfortable, even on cold days when changing wheels can feel like you're tearing tendons in your hand. The cam is very robust and like many other skewers is external. The difference is that the cam is very cleverly attached to the lever preventing it from rotating, saving you from having to double check alignment prior to clamping. The springs are also attached to the nut and cam, another small touch that can make life easier, especially when swapping skewers between wheelsets. Finally, the nut is knurled with a textured surface, making it easy to grab and adjust even for the thick-fingered among us.